Falconry And Other Pastimes
by The Wunn
Summary: PREQUEL, SORT OF. In the midst of a grievous childhood injury, Mordecai makes several lifelong friendships. If you have time to read this summary, read and review please.
1. Reflection

**A/N: I have decided to take a break from my other story and write this. I'll come back to Gods Among Men whenever I can think of what to do with it.**

_**New Haven, Eastern Borderlands, Pandora**_

_**Present Day**_

Mordecai's feet crunched along the dirt and random junk that made up the roads of New Haven. Night had fallen, and given that the planet Pandora had a day cycle over 90 Earth hours long, most of the residents, including his friends, had taken the opportunity to get a good night's rest. Mordecai, however, preferred to take time off to soak up the night air. The serene stillness and cool temperature stood in stark contrast to the harsh daylight sun. The moon hung low in the sky, and he could hear the haunting sounds of skags in the distance, howling at this strange orb.

As Mordecai passed Scooter's garage, he noticed that the redneck mechanic wasn't sitting in his usual place behind the desk. Unseen by anyone, he raised one eyebrow underneath his mask. However, he soon heard a loud snore reverberate from one of the Runners. Looking more closely, he saw Scooter's legs jutting out on a small rolling board under the vehicle. His tools were strewn haphazardly on the floor around him. Mordecai shook his head slowly. Redneck or no, he had to admire the man's work ethic. Clearing his head, Mordecai held out his arm and let out a shrill whistle. Scooter stirred slightly at the noise. He rolled over slightly, knocking his cap to one side.

"Mmm...git-choo-wun..." he mumbled. Mordecai took no notice, keeping his leather-gloved arm held out expectantly. Within a few seconds, he was rewarded by the rapidly-approaching sound of beating wings. Soon enough, a feathery shape dropped down from the sky and clamped dignifiedly to his wrist. Mordecai lifted his free hand up and stroked his pet Bloodwing's head. It closed its eyes in pleasure, allowing a small drop of blood to drip from its beak. Mordecai took it on the end of one finger and held it up to his nose. After a quick whiff, he smiled, showing a set of brilliantly white teeth.

"Smells like skag," he said, a hint of pride in his voice. "You've been going a little far afield, haven't you?" He wiped the blood on his pants before stroking the eagle-like creature once more.

"Good boy, Blood," he said simply. Bloodwing nibbled his dreadlocks affectionately. If a bird could be said to look self-satisfied, this one did. After a few seconds, Mordecai turned and walked out of the garage, with Bloodwing swaying slowly to keep balance. Crossing the courtyard, he walked up a small flight of stairs leading to four adjacent apartments. Running his hand along the rail, he selected the second flat, unlocked the door, and walked in. Bloodwing flew from his arm and landed at the foot of his bed, tucking his head under his wing.

After locking the door behind him, Mordecai undid the lacing on his mask, simultaneously allowing his hair to come free. Leaning forward, Mordecai peeled the mask from his face. The lenses over his eyes came off, revealing a pair of optical-feed cameras embedded in his eye sockets. Rough scars lined the area around them. Mordecai sighed. The cameras were his secret from the world. They were a memento of a part of his life, many years ago. A time of trials and suffering, but also the birth of a lifelong friendship.

Back then, nobody had ever given two shits about him. He was just a name and a number, nothing more. They didn't care if he was sick or injured, and he had often felt that if he had died, nobody would have cared. This was in no small part due to the fact that he had spent most of his childhood locked up in an Atlas-run orphanage on Prometheus. And Atlas didn't exactly have the best track record for kindness or consideration. Mordecai lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. His childhood had been absolute and utter hell. But it had all completely changed in one night.

The night he had met Bloodwing.


	2. Agony

**A/N: For the purposes of the story, Mordecai is 28 during the game's events.**

_**Alleyway near Atlas Corporation Orphanage, Prometheus**_

_**Seventeen Years Ago**_

Mordecai felt a hand clamp onto his shoulder. The icy grip of fear clutched his heart as he heard a late-teenager's voice ring out above him.  
>"Gotcha, you sneaky little shit!" he shouted. As much as he tried to resist, the youth's arm was too strong, and Mordecai could do nothing but squirm as he was dragged from his hiding place. As he was dragged down the alleyway, the teenager called out to a group of people at the end.<p>

"Hey, Jack!" he shouted. The leader of the group looked up and saw the struggling eleven-year-old.

"Well, what a surprise!" he said, smiling icily. He turned to the others next to him, quickly surveying the illegal Torgue weaponry they offered.

"Gentlemen, I believe this deal will have to be postponed," he said firmly. They nodded, packing the guns and walking away. Jack knelt down in front of Mordecai, surveying the child that had spoiled his deal.

"I personally try not to resort to violence as a punishment," he said, his face close to Mordecai's. "But, seeing as this news could threaten my existence here, well..." He paused, before drawing a butterfly knife from his pocket. "I'm going to have to make an except-aaaaagh!" Before he could finish his sentence, Mordecai dashed forward and rammed a shard of glass into his left eye. While the two of them were distracted, he set off at a run, a last, desperate attempt to escape.

"Get him!" the now one-eyed Jack ordered. Without wasting time, the teenager who had found Mordecai started running after him. Mordecai put up a good attempt, but the teenager eventually caught up with him and seized his wrists. As he held Mordecai's arms back, he took a roll of duct tape from his pocket and fastened them together. Jack moved up to him, keeping one hand firmly planted over his eye.

"You stupid piece of shit," he said quietly. "If you'd cooperated, I might have just cut off something useless, like a toe." He produced the knife once more, moving it toward his face. "But you see, I feel that I should take an eye for an eye. Two eyes, in fact." He took the duct tape from his henchman and stuck three strips onto Mordecai's mouth. As Jack moved the knife closer, tears of pure fear ran down Mordecai's face. They found the perfect justification as Jack plunged the knife into the side of his eye. The pain was horrific, but Mordecai couldn't make a sound. He had to bear the suffering in silence.

The knife dug deeper and deeper until it found the optic nerve, at which point the left side of Mordecai's world turned to darkness. Jack levered the knife out, taking half of the eye with it. He cleaned the vitreous humour from his blade, before pressing it into the centre of the other eye and rotating it around. The pain was almost too much for Mordecai to bear, and the now-complete darkness seemed to press in on him from all angles. He felt the knife retract, and heard Jack's voice. The bindings on his wrists vibrated for a few seconds before coming loose.

"It's done," he said simply. "Now let's get me to a hospital. This eye hurts like all fucking hell." Their footsteps rang out through the alley, slowly getting quieter as time passed. Mordecai, surrounded by silence and darkness, suddenly felt very cold and alone.

Bloodwing sat perched on a fire escape nearby. He had heard the voices, as well as Jack's scream. Now it was time to see if there were any leftovers. Gracefully, he swooped down, surveying the area. Inevitably, he saw Mordecai, gagged, blinded and left for dead. Bloodwing swooped down, ready to feast on the remains, but came grinding to a halt as Mordecai moved slightly. He was still alive.

Bloodwing approached cautiously, wondering whether this supine figure posed any threat. He let out a caw of alarm as Mordecai whimpered slightly. After a while, he realised there was no threat in the sound and moved closer. Then he saw the blood saturating the ground around his head. He knew then that the small figure was injured. Badly. He also saw the stick-like limbs and tiny body, and he could tell that this thing wouldn't provide him with a decent meal. Satisfied that he wasn't a threat, Bloodwing sat on Mordecai's chest, peering interestedly at his face.

Instinctively, Mordecai reached up at this new weight, wondering where it had come from. As he made contact with the shape of Bloodwing, he felt its muscles tense slightly. He stroked its back reassuringly, and felt it relax on him. He didn't know what this feathered thing was, but at least it provided good company. Bloodwing, for his part, cautiously trusted the young child. He couldn't see any real way that Mordecai could harm him, and the gentle stroking did feel very comfortable. He could do to spend more time with this boy. Eventually, the stroking became more laboured and erratic as the pain became too much to bear. A few more seconds and Mordecai simply passed out. Bloodwing gently tapped his face, to no response.

While the two of them were sharing their moment, another two boys were walking down the street. One of them had dark-toned skin and wore a scarf around his neck; the other was tall and incredibly muscular, to the point where it was almost comical. The heavily muscular one shook his head in annoyance.

"Everybody knows that the bigger the gun, the better it is," he said wearily. "Rocket launchers beat shotguns. It's a fact of life, Roland." The one named Roland laughed.

"You seriously want to believe that, don't you?" He shook his head. "Shotguns fire more pellets at once. You get more bullets, so you can easily beat a rocket's power." He couldn't resist another ribbing. "It's a fact of life, Brick." Brick shrugged.

"Well, I've heard that they're making shotguns that fire rockets," he said, matter-of-factly. "That might solve all of our problems." The discussion ended when they heard a caw from a nearby alley.

"Hey, that was weird," Roland said, the surprise being replaced with curiosity. "Maybe we should check it out." Brick still stared down the alley.

"Are you nuts?" he said. "That was a Bloodwing. They eat people!" Roland laughed.

"C'mon, that's just an old story," he said confidently. "Besides, you can just punch it out of the sky if it tries to attack you!" Brick looked at his muscled arms, his confidence returning.

"All right," he said. "Let's go then." As they walked into they alleyway, they saw Bloodwing perched on Mordecai's figure, and the blood around him. Their eyes widened.

"My God," Roland said, shocked. "What did that thing do to him?" Brick didn't wait for answers, but went charging in.

"Get away from him!" he shouted. Bloodwing let out a squawk of alarm before flying away and watching from a distance. Roland looked at Mordecai, feeling sick to his stomach at the sight of the ruined eyes.

"I don't know who this guy is, but we need to get him to a hospital. Fast." Brick looked around nervously.

"Are you sure? What if that Bloodwing comes back?" Roland looked at him, long and hard.

"Brock..." he said, foregoing his joking nickname. "Do it... now!"


	3. Darkness

Eventually, Mordecai began to stir. From the temperature and the surface he was lying on, he could deduce that he was no longer in the alleyway. Perhaps he was dead? But if so, why was he still blind? While he was pondering, he became aware of the fact that the comforting weight of Bloodwing was no longer on his chest. He started to panic slightly, breathing faster and feeling around for the bird. As he did so, an unfamiliar voice rang out.

"Hey, Doc?" it said, quickly becoming more interested. "I think he's waking up." Mordecai heard the sound of a scratching pen, followed by another voice, much deeper this time.

"Kid, just relax," it said. The voice had an inherent calming quality about it, and Mordecai began to breathe more easily. "Good. That's it. You're in a hospital. I'm a doctor. Do you remember what happened to your eyes?" Mordecai gulped before nodding. How the heck could he forget? The voice paused before replying.

"The report I have here says you were attacked by a Bloodwing." Mordecai was already shaking his head.

"No..." he said, gathering his thoughts. "That's not how it happened." The doctor tapped his pen on his clipboard.

"Really?" he said, preparing to write. "Well, then how did it play out?" Mordecai paused before launching into his story.

"This guy...he called himself Jack. I watched him trying to get some guns. Torgue ones, I think. But this other guy found me before I could get away. Jack said I ruined his deal...he got out a knife and..." The doctor stopped him, glancing at the other children in the room.

"I know what happened next," he said. "We managed to get cameras to replace your eyes. You need to keep those bandages over them while the eye muscles heal. In about a day, you'll be able to see fine, and we'll get you back to the orphanage." Mordecai felt a cold hand clench around his heart. Back to the orphanage. Back to Jack. Before he could say anything, the doctor's pager rang out.

"Well, I've got somebody else to see. You should be alright for now, so try and get some rest." Mordecai heard the door click shut, and resigned himself to loneliness. At least, until another voice appeared.

"Man, you look like crap," it said. The new voice sounded female. Mordecai tensed up, instinctively looking around.

"Who said that?" he called, in no particular direction. The unseen girl whistled.

"Umm, over here? You really are blind, aren't you?" Mordecai shrugged his shoulders.

"Either that, or the lights don't like me," he said. The girl laughed.

"I like you, guy!" she said cheerfully. "My name's Lilith." Mordecai grinned. It was a first time thing for anyone to care about him.

"I'm Mordecai," he said simply. Lilith cocked her head to one side at his name.

"What kind of name is that?" she said. It wasn't spiteful, simply curious. "Mord-ee-kai? Well, I'm calling you Mordy. Nice to meetcha." Unseen by him, Lilith peered around him.

"Who's your little entourage?" she asked. Mordecai had been conscious of another voice. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I actually don't know," he replied. Roland, always the chivalrous one, stepped forward first.

"My name's Roland," he said, before gesturing in Brick's direction. "His name is Brock, but everybody calls him Brick." Lilith nodded, an uncomfortable smile fixed on her face. She could certainly see the reasoning behind the name. Brick looked as if he could tear her apart without even thinking.

"Charmed," she said simply. Mordecai's smile fell as he remembered the doctor's parting words.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you all, but it won't really matter," he said, a forlorn expression on his face. "Jack has friends, and they all stick by each other. I'm probably gonna die the second I walk back into that orphanage. So, it's been nice knowing you." The other three exchanged expressions. Mordecai rolled over on his bed, and was soon fast asleep.

A few hours later, the others gathered around Lilith's bed. Night had fallen, and they began to formulate plans to get Mordecai out. It was universally agreed that he couldn't stay, or he'd return to Jack's waiting death-trap. However, their opinions varied as to how they could do it. Many ideas were tossed around and rejected, until eventually, they hit on an idea that they all agreed on. Once all the details had been ironed out, Brick leaned over and tapped Mordecai on the head.

"Mord? Hey Mordy, get up." Mordecai yawned.

"What the hell do you want?" he asked angrily. He wasn't really a morning person. Brick, in his usual blunt manner, stated his intent.

"We're getting you out of here," he stated. Mordecai sat up, his curiosity piqued.

"How the heck do you intend to do that?" he asked. Brick held his hand out to Roland, who passed him the scarf he wore around his neck.

"Like this," he said, wrapping the scarf around his clenched fist. "Stand back."

Bracing himself, Brick drove his fist through the window, revealing a powerline that ran to the garage of the hospital. However, before they could do anything, the door swung open, to reveal an armed guard. He was overworked, high-strung, and probably unstable.

"All right!" he shouted. "Up against the wall, and I don't start shooting! NOW!" Roland and Brick went to move up against the wall, when they heard the sound of beating wings. Before they could react, a feathered shape had flown in through the smashed window and directly in front of the guard's face. Blood began to pour from a gash in his neck, and he simply collapsed to the ground. Mordecai instinctively held out his arm, and the creature landed on it, revealing the form of Bloodwing. One of his talons was dripping blood.

"Remind me not to badmouth that bird again," Brick whispered to Roland. Mordecai simply stroked Bloodwing, who seemed to enjoy every minute of his company. Eventually, Lilith tapped the wall.

"We need to leave," she said, effectively breaking the mood. Brick nodded and tore metal bars from the beds and chairs in the room. When he had four, he bent them into a curved shape and crushed a handgrip into them. Passing them to the others, they found that they now had a very effective zip line hook. Roland went down first, grinding along the cable before dropping off the line at the end. Brick went down next, his extra bulk lending him speed. He didn't let go at the end, instead ploughing into the wall and dropping down unscathed.

Lilith guided Mordecai's hands onto his bar next. Once he was attached, on impulse, she leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. He blushed slightly before stepping off into the unknown. At first, there was no resistance, then the bar caught him and he slid down towards the end. At Roland's call, he dropped off the bar, landing squarely in Brick's arms. Then Lilith swooped down, and it was over.

When they were all gathered at the bottom, they heard beating wings again, and Bloodwing landed easily on Mordecai's shoulder. It became clear that he wasn't going to be leaving any time soon. With that in mind, Lilith spoke.

"Where can we go?" she asked. "My parents think I'm in hospital." Roland shook his head.

"Mine are drunk enough to not miss me, but they'll probably notice three extra people." Brick shrugged.

"Mine are in Ruskalia meeting with some Vladof execs. They won't be back for at least a month; that's why I'm staying with Roland." Lilith clapped her hands together.

"Then it's settled," she said eagerly. "We're going to Brick's place."


	4. Breather

After the decision had been made, the group set off down the street. Brick lead the way, with Roland close behind. Lilith lagged behind slightly, steadfastly gripping Mordecai's hand. He, for his part, simply stumbled along blindly, wavering backward and forward, occasionally colliding with the wall, and at other times losing his footing on some unseen obstruction. At all of these times, Lilith provided support, guiding him away from harm and helping him to his feet. She had no idea why she was helping him so eagerly and readily; she just felt inexplicably drawn to the thin boy.

Two hours and one traffic scare later -on a route that should have taken thirty minutes- they finally arrived at a large house on the city's outskirts. Brick scanned the wall before tearing away one of its metal panels, revealing a hidden compartment behind it. Reaching into it, he retrieved a small key, then bolted the panel back in by hand. Wordlessly, he opened the front door.

The first thing the group noticed was the rows upon rows of guns that lined the walls. Tediore, S&S, Dahl, Jakobs, and even a few Maliwans. Brick shrugged his shoulders, seeing Lilith's stunned face.

"What can I say?" he said, not fazed at all. "My parents love guns. That's why they're in Ruskalia; they're getting a loyalty discount from Vladof." Reacting to the sound of Brick's voice, they heard a loud barking sound coming from down the hallway. Within an instant, a furry creature bounded into view and bowled Brick over, licking his face. With a great deal of effort, he pushed the large dog to one side before sitting up and petting it roughly.

"Heya, Jess!" he said happily. She was his best friend, save Roland. "I know, I'm happy to see you too." With that, he stood up, gesturing for the others to follow. Bloodwing ruffled his feathers, looking uncomfortably at the dog. Mordecai felt the movement and stroked the bird once more, feeling it relax at his touch. At Brick's gesture, Lilith guided Mordecai to a couch. She sat down, gently tugging on his arm until he followed.

"You can sleep there tonight," Brick said, pulling several rashers of bacon from a nearby fridge. Neatly, he sliced them into strips before throwing them into a searing frypan. The divine smell of cooking bacon wafted through the house, and Mordecai's mouth began to water. The last time he had eaten seemed so long ago. When they were done, Brick plated them up before sliding them across to Mordecai.

"You look like you could use a decent meal," he joked. Not knowing how he would manage with cutlery, Mordecai simply grabbed the bacon and shovelled it into his mouth. Lilith shifted uncomfortably at the delectable sight in front of her. The sound didn't go unnoticed.

"I'm sorry," Mordecai said politely. "Do you want some?" Lilith shook her head.

"It's okay," she replied. "You need it more than I do." She was a little disappointed when Mordecai didn't insist, but simply went back to wolfing down the bacon.

A few hours later, the other three gathered around the dining table. They had a radio on, playing "No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant. It was on at low volume, so as not to disturb Mordecai. He had laid down shortly earlier, though whether he was asleep or merely dozing, nobody could tell. Bloodwing sat on the couch's edge, his head tucked under his wing.

"Poor guy," Lilith said. "He got his eyes gouged out, but he's acting like its nothing." Roland nodded glumly.

"I got no idea how he's still going," he said in wonder. "I don't think I could survive if that happened to me." Brick shrugged.

"Twiggy's got a lot of heart," he said simply. Their thoughts, however, were interrupted by a voice from the couch.

"You guys know I can hear you, right?" Mordecai said, laughing. Brick stood up and pointed at him.

"You heard nothing!" he shouted, though he could see he was fighting a losing battle. Mordecai laughed again.

"Whatever, man," he said. "Just turn the radio up." The three exchanged a look that said "let us never speak of this again", then turned the volume knob to full. The group sat in silence, none of them wanting to disrupt the positive vibe that now hung in the room. Within a few minutes, Mordecai began to quietly snore.

THE FOLLOWING DAY...

Mordecai slowly sat up, yawning. Strangely, as he did so, he heard a quiet whirring noise coming from his head. Within a few seconds, however, it had stopped. As he looked around, he became conscious of the fact that he could distinguish light and dark. Elated, he felt his mouth unconsciously widen into a grin.

"Hey guys!" he shouted excitedly. "I think I can see!" Within a few seconds, fast footsteps reverberated through the house, coming closer and closer. When the group was assembled, they all gazed expectantly at him. Slowly, hardly daring to believe it, he reached up behind his head, toward the knot that held the bandage in place. His fingers stumbled over it several times, not quite forming a grip, until Lilith finally intervened. Her small, dextrous fingers made quick work of the knot, allowing the bandage's ends to fall. Mordecai nodded his thanks in no particular direction before reaching up behind his head once more.

Slowly, he unravelled the cloth bindings. They loosened slowly at first, with small amounts of dried blood impeding their removal, but eventually their weight and Mordecai's pulling became too much to bear and they simply fell loose, slipping down from his face. Mordecai squinted, unused to the light, but his "eyes" began to whir once more, and he soon found that he could see perfectly. However, when he looked at the others, they seemed surprised, shocked. Wordlessly, Brick passed him a mirror, his eyes wide. As Mordecai looked at his face, he could see why.

Anything resembling eyes was gone, replaced with two plexiglass orbs. Inside the spheres were two black camera lenses, with an adjustable shutter in the centre. As he blinked, the shutters closed quickly, then opened again. His eyelids were fixed into place, rough scars encircling his eyes. It looked cold, mechanical, even inhuman. At the sight of the cameras, Mordecai clapped his hand over his face, ashamed. Lilith went to put her hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"Don't look at me," he said quietly. He stood up violently before running toward the front door, keeping one hand firmly pressed over his eyes. Throwing it open, he ran outside before sitting at the edge of the fence and cupping his face both of in his hands, shielding it from view.

A few minutes later, Brick emerged from the house, carrying a leather shape in his hand. He walked up to Mordecai before clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Umm...Mord?" he said uneasily. He wasn't sure how Mordecai would react to what he was about to say. "Well...my dad knew this guy...he used to train birds." Mordecai made no reaction to this, so Brick continued on.

"Well...he had this mask. Crazy thing. It was like...it covered his eyes, but he could still see out of it." Mordecai drew his head up, his interest rising. Brick saw this, and held out the leather bundle, allowing it to open up and reveal the shape of a mask. Mordecai parted his fingers slightly, just enough to see it. It was mostly leather, with no mouthpiece to be seen. Lacing hung down from one end of it. The most distinct feature, however, were the eyepieces. They were made of a stiff, durable glasslike substance surrounded by a soft tube filled with gel, coloured blood red, and completely opaque.

With renewed purpose, Mordecai took the mask and draped it over his head, sweeping his hair to the back in the process. As he tightened the lacing around his head, the features seemed to adjust to the contours of his face. The eyepieces came naturally to his eyes, and his hair stuck out in a rough ponytail. Tying the laces off, he surveyed the area. The world seemed coated in a slight rose-coloured tinge. Holding up the mirror, he surveyed his face once more. The mask suited him, and more importantly, shielded his eyes from view. He smiled at this new face covering, his confidence returning.

"It's good," he said simply. "Now let's get back inside."

**A/N: TBQH, I'm not too happy with this chapter. Nothing interesting happens at all, just a bit of character building. I'm not particularly ecstatic about the next one either, but I don't know how to improve on either of them. Maybe it's time I looked for a beta reader...**


	5. Psychic

As they walked back to the house, Mordecai looked at Brick, taking in his features for the first time.

"My God, you're a giant," he said without thinking. He cut himself off, hoping his words hadn't been deemed offensive. But Brick merely laughed.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he said, beaming. As they walked inside, Mordecai glanced at Roland. He had one eyebrow raised, and was nodding thoughtfully.

"Nice fashion statement," he said, looking at the odd mask. Mordecai shrugged his shoulders.

"Get used to it," he replied. "I'm not taking it off in public any time soon." Lilith smiled devilishly at him.

"All the better," she joked. As Mordecai swung to look at her, the world seemed to freeze around him. Unseen by anyone, his eyebrows rose to the heavens. He had to make a conscious effort to keep his jaw in place.

Lilith was beautiful. Even though Mordecai's body wasn't awash with hormones yet, he could still see it. Her face was fresh, her lips large and soft-looking, and her naturally red hair lightened in tone all the way to the tips. Although her breasts and hips weren't yet defined, her bodily curves were still perfectly-shaped, sitting directly in the middle of the odd range of muscle and fat that defined her general shape. She cocked her head to one side, looking puzzled.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked. Mordecai's mind came back to the present with a thud, and he desperately tried to come up with a justification.

"Um..." he said, his eyes darting back and forth. "...I don't see anything wrong with you," he said quickly, covering his tracks. "Why were you in hospital?" Lilith shrugged her shoulders.

"I've been getting these weird migraines," she said, sitting down. "I don't really know why; they just happen-ah!" As if on cue, Lilith felt a blast of pain shoot through her head. It felt as if her brain was throbbing in her skull. She dug the heels of her palms into her eyes, gritting her teeth. Mordecai dashed over to her side quickly. He may have imagined it, but he could almost swear he saw her glow slightly. A shattering noise echoed throughout the house. Strangely, after the sound, Lilith's pain subsided. She straightened up, looking uneasily in the direction of the noise. Shaken by the commotion, Bloodwing flew up to the relative safety of Mordecai's shoulder. Mordecai took the opportunity to survey his feathered companion.

He seemed quite young-at a glance, he looked about a year old. Mordecai frowned thoughtfully. Bloodwings were a long-lived species. It was highly unusual to see one of his age without its parents nearby. The frown turned to one of sadness as he remembered one other fact. Bloodwings were highly prized for their eggs. With the right preparation, Bloodwing eggs were one of the most delicious delicacies on the market.

Many Bloodwings were captured or slaughtered for this, often leaving their chicks to fend for themselves. This Bloodwing that now rested on Mordecai's shoulder was likely one of these orphaned youngsters. Mordecai stroked the eagle-like creature once more, feeling a certain bond to the young bird. It had taken care of him, now he would do the same for it. Brick eventually broke the silence that followed.

"Umm...I think we should check out that noise," he said, timidly. He had no idea what had caused the sound, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. Roland and Mordecai looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders before following Brick into the kitchen/dining room.

Nothing special had changed. The furniture was all in the same place, the kitchen utensils were in the correct place. However, there was one key difference. A smashed glass lay on the ground next to a wall. The glass could have easily been knocked over by something else, except for one small detail. There was nothing for the glass to have fallen from. The only tables and counters were on the other side of the room. It had to have flown clean across the room for it to be in its current position.

This line of logic wasn't wasted on the trio. Brick blinked several times in astonishment. Roland's eyebrows shot up to heaven. Mordecai took a step back in surprise. The three of them looked at each other for several seconds before sprinting back toward Lilith. When they arrived, she instinctively flinched, expecting at least one of them to barrel into her. With some effort, they skidded to a halt before letting loose with an incoherent mess of words. A confused expression appeared on her face, slowly growing as she tried desperately to understand what they were saying. As if understanding her predicament, Bloodwing ruffled his feathers before emitting an ear-piercing shriek. The boys came to a stunned halt, staring at the bird. Lilith smiled.

"Thank you, Bloodwing," she said simply. Bloodwing sat back, a dignified air hanging around him.

"_That's how you treat a lady,"_ he seemed to say. The others looked suitably chastised. Lilith crossed her arms.

"Now," she said, with a newfound aura of authority about her. "Will one of you please tell me, completing every thought that you start, what happened?" Brick managed to create his line of reasoning first. Stepping forward, he pointed at Lilith, getting straight to the point.

"Are you psychic?" he asked bluntly. Lilith laughed off the idea.

"Of course not," she said. "What makes you think that?" Roland hesitated before continuing.

"We saw a glass shattered in the kitchen," he replied. The answer sounded shaky, even to him. Lilith raised one eyebrow.

"So...you think I'm psychic because a glass broke?" she said. Brick had to admit that the premise seemed very flimsy when she put it that way. Roland, sensing he was in trouble, jumped into action.

"It was on the other side of the room, Lilith," he elaborated. "Glasses don't catapult themselves." Lilith's air of confidence began to waver.

"I still don't think it's likely," she said. "It could just be a series of coincidences." Mordecai, seeing her doubt, decided to hit the nail on the head with cold, hard logic.

"What's your family like?" he asked, trying to get to the source. "Any odd incidents in their past? Or yours?" Lilith shook her head, sitting down.

"Nothing," she said. "My parents are just archaeologists. They study ancient alien civilizations—" She got no further as Mordecai clicked his fingers.

"Bingo," he said simply. The others look at him, uncomprehendingly. However, he stuck to his guns.

"Lilith, what race do they study?" he asked tentatively. She was silent for a few moments, thinking.

"I think...the Erdans? Eridons?" Mordecai smiled. He had his answer.

"The Eridians, right?" Lilith nodded.

"I thought so," he said. "I heard some rumours a little while back. Mainly from the orphanage staff. After Atlas found those Eridian artefacts, the people at ground zero...changed." Lilith raised one eyebrow.

"What kind of change?" she asked interestedly. Mordecai shrugged.

"Some went crazy. Others grew to massive sizes, or shrunk to half-height. But there was one other thing." Lilith leaned forward, interested.

"Their leader, Steele? She went into hospital a while later, complaining of massive migraines. Sound familiar?" Lilith nodded, her eyes widening. Mordecai continued once more, counting off his next list on his fingers.

"First, nothing. Then, whenever she has an episode, doctors see things moving around. After a while, she started phasing out of existence, then reappearing at the other side of the room. She had no idea how she did it, but a few days later, she started doing it consciously. Hell, she even stopped aging. I saw a picture of her at the dig site seventeen years ago, compared it to her now. They looked exactly the same. After people started seeing it, they started calling her a Siren." He paused for a second then added, "No accounting for taste," remembering the albino Ruskalian. Lilith nodded slowly, taking all of this in.

"So, you're saying this could happen to me?" she asked, still trying to make sure she had her facts straight. Mordecai nodded.

"If those symptoms develop any further, then it's pretty likely." But Lilith frowned as she remembered one other thing.

"I've never been anywhere near any Eridian stuff," she said. Mordecai chewed his lip as he thought it over. But Roland provided an answer.

"Did your mom work while she was pregnant?" he asked, and Lilith nodded confirmation. Before either Mordecai of Roland could say anything, Brick cut across them.

"That probably provided all the exposure you needed," he said. "Size matters when it comes to radiation." Lilith nodded, but then a thought struck her.

"Exactly how do you know this?" she asked. Mordecai had seemingly come out of nowhere with this information. He smiled proudly.

"It might have cost me my eyes," he said, "but I really like to eavesdrop. And when you live in an Atlas orphanage, the info's great." He paused, before continuing on a little more quietly.

"By the way, I really like birds," he said, digressing. He stroked Bloodwing instinctively. "Especially the odd ones."

Lilith stood up and shrugged her shoulders. Now that Mordecai could see her, he found that she was slightly taller than him or Roland.

"Well," she said resignedly, "if I'm gonna be a Siren, I'd better make the most of it." She stood in silence for a few seconds before clapping her hands together.

"Now," she said eagerly, "I'm starving, and the fridge looks very inviting. Anyone disagree?" Brick and Roland smacked their lips eagerly. As they walked towards the kitchen, however, Mordecai's thoughts were far away from food. They were fixed mainly on the girl that stood in front of him.

**Mordecai's Apartment, Present Day**

Seventeen years later, Mordecai chuckled at the title Lilith had been given._ The Siren, _he thought._ How appropriate that was. The woman everyone wants, but no-one can have. Mainly because if they lay a finger on her, I'll have Bloodwing slit their fucking throat. Or even do it myself._

**A/N: I told you I wasn't too happy with it. That was an understatement. In reality, this is my least favourite chapter, hands down. TBQH, you could completely skip over this bit and not lose too much idea of what's happening. I'm not even sure why I kept it, but it's up now, so feel free to flame it all you want. Hell, I'll probably agree with most of it.**


	6. Briefing

_**Mordecai's Apartment**_

_**New Haven, Eastern Borderlands, Pandora**_

_**Present Day**_

Mordecai shifted slightly on the stiff bed, slowly easing his strained, wiry muscles. He had no time to think of these memories in his daily life. The constant firefights that defined his life left little time to become reflective, and a part of him was grateful. No sane man would like reliving the memories of having his eyes gouged out. Then again, not many people would actually have the horrible experience lodged in their minds. He lay in silence for several minutes, then had his thoughts interrupted by a bright flash and ethereal noise outside his door. A cool, unnatural breeze flipped his hair back, followed by a sharp tapping noise on his door frame.

Slowly, he sat up, stretching. Bloodwing, intrigued, flew over to a counter next to the front door, his talons leaving shallow trenches in the cheap wood. There was no threat in his body language, only curiosity. Mordecai took the leather mask that now lay on his bedside table and draped it over his head, tightening the laces that held it in place. Unlocking the door, he took the steel handle in one hand and pushed it upward, allowing the door to swing open. Lilith stood there, her beautiful figure framed by the door, looking like a piece of art. She smiled awkwardly.

"Locked myself out," she said sheepishly. "Can I borrow your keys?" Mordecai shook his head slightly, as if coming out of a daze.

"Um, sure," he replied, mentally cursing his inability to stay focussed while looking at Lilith. He had been around her for seventeen years, and it had never gotten any easier. Shaking off the thought, he turned around and walked to a small box on the other side of the room. Rummaging through the pile of bullets that lay inside, he managed to locate the key. He turned around, then started in surprise at the sight of Lilith's face, about ten inches from his. The temperature in the room seemed to rise by about fifty degrees as they stared at each other.

"I got the keys,"Mordecai said, though his thoughts were far from the metallic object in his hand. Lilith's mind seemed to be on the same wavelength. Smiling, she reached up and pulled Mordecai's mask from his face. They stood in silence for several seconds, then, driven by the same impulse, launched themselves forward into a passionate kiss. Bloodwing screeched as he watched, in a way that was akin to an astonished whistle. After what seemed like forever, the pair reluctantly disengaged, their arms still around each other.

"Seventeen years in the making," Lilith said, grinning.

"And worth every fuckin' minute," Mordecai replied. Slowly, he reached toward her bra's clasp, swearing as he stumbled over it. Again, foiled by a fastening. Lilith however, was distracted by something else. The door was held slightly ajar, with two pairs of eyes staring through it. One pair was surrounded by dark skin, the other set under a heavy brow. Pushing Mordecai aside, she strode toward the door, her cheeks flushed with colour. A violet aura began to emanate around her, leaping off of her body like a set of glowing flames. A deepish voice rang out as the door slammed shut.

"Shit!"it said, panicking. "Get the fuck out, Brick! She's onto us!" Lilith broke out into a sprint, hurling the door open and revealing Roland and Brick. The pair looked at each other, then Roland vaulted over the rail and sprinted off, with Lilith in hot pursuit.

"Roland Bannister, you piece of shit!" she screamed. "Get back here now!" Brick looked at Mordecai, who nodded slowly. Wisely, he edged away slowly, back into his apartment. He may have been famous for his berserker rage, but hell had no fury like a pissed-off Lilith.

**THE FOLLOWING DAY...**

Helena Pierce slammed her mechanical fist down onto her desk, then swore as the impact dislodged it from its socket. She glared at the assembled vault hunters with contemptuous hatred.

"Do you enjoy making me lose sleep from stress?" she shouted, re-adjusting her arm. "What the hell did you and Marcus do? One-Eyed Jack is mad as hell, and they're saying he's going to take it out on New Haven!" Helena began to pace around the room, dragging her hands down her scarred face.

"Shoulda moved to T-Bone..." Brick whispered into Mordecai's ear. This did not go unnoticed. Pierce whipped around, slamming her hands onto her desk.

"You think this is a laughing matter?" she said. Her voice had lowered, but was still just as threatening. "You're responsible. Now get out there, kill Jack, and bring back proof, or you'll be in for worse than some bloody bandits." The others nodded before turning around and walking out the door. Mordecai, however, hung back.

"Just a moment," he said, deep in thought. "This 'One-Eyed Jack', what does he look like...?"

A few seconds later, Mordecai emerged, a smirk on his face. Combined with his mask, the effect was rather chilling. The others stood by the Catch-A-Ride, making idle conversation with Scooter as they called up a pair of vehicles. Brick and Roland vaulted into one, their combined weight causing it to sag alarmingly. Lilith climbed smoothly into the other, leaving the turret open for Mordecai.

As he walked over to it, however, she noticed the look on his face. She had seen him smirk before, of course. He had the irritating habit of doing it whenever his bullets penetrated somebody's skull. But it had never chilled her to the bone like it did now.

"Mord?" she said, uneasily. "Why are you smiling like that?" It took Mordecai a few seconds to register what she had said.

"Nothing important," he replied. "Just...glad to see some justice..." Lilith nodded uneasily before shifting the car into gear and roaring off toward the Rust Commons. She couldn't shake the feeling that some serious shit was about to go down.

**A/N: Well, I'm back, with only a few chapters left. Sorry if you wanted it longer, but I was running out of ideas and I don't think any of us want to see boring filler. Well, what can you do?**

**PS: When I say filler, I don't mean **character development or anything, I literally mean** shit designed to pad out the story. Boring to read, boring to write...I hate filler.**


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